EXCLUSIVE: Watch — John Malkovich Death Fears Erupt After Actor Slurs Words 'Like He's High, Had a Stroke or Is Secretly Stricken With Parkinson's' During Rambling Bill Maher Sit-Down
John Malkovich left fans sick with worry following his concerning appearance on Bill Maher's show.
Dec. 4 2025, Published 7:40 p.m. ET
John Malkovich has ignited new health fears after his slurred, glassy-eyed appearance on Bill Maher's Club Random, with sources close to the actor telling RadarOnline.com it left fans and his loved ones alarmed by his "deeply out-of-character" behavior during the rambling conversation about his career.
The discussion, filmed in Los Angeles and posted online this week, showed the actor drifting through anecdotes while struggling to articulate words and appearing visibly unfocused.
What Is Wrong With Malkovich?
Viewers raised concerns after Malkovich appeared to slur his words during a 'Club Random' interview.
Sources close to the production said crew members were surprised by the extent of his slurring.
One insider claimed: "Everyone noticed it. His speech was unbelievably slurred, and his eyes were glassy, like something was seriously wrong."
Another added the episode prompted questions about whether the actor had suffered a "serious medical event" or was battling a previously undisclosed condition, including a stroke or Parkinson's disease.
During the interview, Malkovich drifted in and out of lengthy reminiscences about his decades in film and theater, speaking in the languid cadence his fans will recognize, but with his sentences slurring into one another and the movie star looking out of it.
Fans posted worried comments online after watching the rambling conversation.
'He Is Struggling'
Crew members on set noticed his glassy eyes and struggled to understand his slow speech, according to a source.
A source added: "The team backstage were saying they had never seen him like that. It didn't look like he was joking around or was just drunk. He looked and sounded like a man struggling with a serious disorder or secret illness."
Fans also flooded social media with messages of concern for the 71-year-old Con Air star.
One said, "Does he have Parkinson's?" The question prompted a stream of concerned replies and "expert" opinions from fans who claimed they could spot "clear signs of dementia" in Malcovich from patients they had dealt with or cared for.
Another worried follower of Maher's show added: "John can barely get one clear sentence out. His sentences all run into each other, as a stream of consciousness ramble. It looks like he is doped up or on meds for dementia. He is struggling."
Yet another said: "It's sad – he is so sharp and full of life on screen." Another viewer of Maher's show added Malcovich "looks like he had suffered a stroke," while one added he seemed to be "secretly fighting something neurological."
Loss of Life Savings
People familiar with the show claimed the backstage team reacted with alarm to his slurred delivery.
Malkovich has previously spoken openly about the hardship that has defined his personal life, including the loss of his life savings in the Bernie Madoff scandal, a violent upbringing in Illinois, and the deaths of three of his siblings in their 50s.
He once recalled returning home, seeing the financier in handcuffs on television, and telling his wife, "I'm going to go to the corner to get a packet of cigarettes. I think we have a little problem with Madoff."
Madoff defrauded thousands of investors out of around $64.8billion and was given a 150-year jail sentence in 2009.
Malcovich has added about the trauma of his loss in the massive rip-off scheme: "Everything I'd ever made was gone… You know, that was a couple of days of shock, I suppose."
Violent Childhood Recalled
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
One viewer remarked that Malkovich could barely finish a clear sentence.
He has also described a violent childhood marked by beatings from his father and older brother, saying: "You crossed the line and you got a beating. That was very common at that time."
The Hollywood star has said he later chased that same brother with a knife, insisting the sibling "didn't get anything he didn't deserve… people get sick of being tortured."
Friends say those experiences shaped his stoic outlook.
A longtime collaborator suggested: "John's had an enormous amount of loss. People wondered whether all that pressure finally caught up with him and contributed to some kind of serious degenerative illness."
